A legal battle between Ecuadorian citizens and corporate power

For decades, transnational corporations/companies have been using various strategies (e.g. lobbying for the reduction of taxation) to position their products and influence dietary habits, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ‘health taxes’ are one of the most effective public health measures for reducing the negative effects of unhealthy products, which have been shown to add to the burden adiposity-related cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and diabetes mellitus. Yet despite the abundant evidence on these impacts and the innovative tax policies implemented by neighbouring countries, on 10 January 2023, Ecuador issued Decreto 645 – an unprecedented presidential decree which reduced excise taxes on products harmful to health and the environment, including cigarettes and e-cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, sugary industrial drinks, plastic covers, firearms, and ammunition. The rationale for this government decree was to strengthen citizen security, fight against smuggling and informality, and mitigate the impact of inflation on the economy. In this viewpoint, we share the experience of how members of the civil society built a group called Colectivo Todos Por la Vida (translated as ‘Collective All for Life’) and led a legal fight to defend the health and well-being of the Ecuadorian population against local corporate power. The lessons learned could be useful to other countries in similar scenarios.